Catering for the Day

Choosing a caterer for your wedding is like choosing a new best friend. They must be knowledgeable, open to quirky ideas and totally committed to the success of your day.

Ask a guest what they remember best about a wedding, and it will inevitably be the food. It is therefore worth spending some time and a generous portion of your wedding budget on getting it right and to do this, you need the right caterer.

Every wedding is different, there are many new ideas such as chocolate fountains, champagne fountains and ice sculptures that are great fun, but always find the quality provider in your area.

If you are having an outdoor wedding, you should contact several local wedding caterers and get a feel for what they provide, the quality of their food and the cost. Marquees and portable loo's are a must but these are generally in high demand, and make sure that you book well in advance.

Wedding cakes are very personal, have a good idea of the general design and type of cake before contacting wedding cake suppliers. Ask the baker to show you a portfolio or pictures of wedding cakes that they have previously made. This will help you to determine if you like the baker's style and also give you an idea about their creativity.

Finally, the bubbly at your wedding is very important, a good caterer will advise you that most people drink far less than they think they do - four to six glasses of wine or champagne per person is average for a wedding. Finding a local provider of wine and champagne is fun, why not try some out and it could save you a lot of money too!

Couples should be advised to meet a prospective caterer for the first time at the venue itself. Experienced caterers who know the venue can advise on anything from parking to ideas for inexpensive table decorations. Although your venue might have a capacity of 200 guests, your caterer may advise you that anything over 150 is a squeeze.

More importantly, they are the experts and it's worth consulting them with your catering requirements before even booking the ceremony, check out our list of advertisers and please mention Getting Married in Devon when contacting a supplier.